Hungary’s new 18.5 km M25 express road has been built to connect the M3 motorway with the city of Eger, seat of Heves county. Positioned on a different alignment to the existing single carriageway main road 25, the M25 has two lanes running in each direction. The project reduces accidents, pollution and improves access to the TEN-T network.
- 13 January 2021
From south to north, the M25 begins at a grade-separated junction with the M3 and ends at a one-lane roundabout on urban main road 252 on the south side of Eger. Along with the building of the road itself, work under the project entailed building two grade-separated junctions (built at different heights), five overpasses and one underpass.
A need for better road links
A core element of the Trans-European Transport network, the M3 is the main road link between Budapest and eastern Hungary. Before the M25 was built, Eger had no direct access to the express road network. The national main road 33 and main road 25 provided the easiest way to the M3.
The fastest route to Budapest and the west of the country was via main roads 3 and 25. To head east, the M3 could only be reached via roads 2501 and 2502.
On the sections of roads 3, 25, 33, 2500 and 2501 affected by the project, 215 accidents resulting in injuries were recorded between 2011 and 2016. Of these, 9 % were fatal. In 29 % of cases, the injuries were serious.
Moreover, numbers of fatal accidents is on the rise, particularly on main road 25. The fact that these roads pass through several settlements, allied to the inferior quality of the surface in some places, increases the risk of accidents. It also makes for higher noise and air pollution levels and increases journey times.
Cutting journey times, accidents and pollution
A shift of traffic from main and local roads to the M25 will cut journey times, accidents and noise, vibrations and pollution in nearby settlements, and make the settlements more accessible. Also, the M25 will be used by express buses between Budapest and Eger, based on a schedule to be harmonised with that of the railways.
Faster links to main urban centres thanks to increased road capacity should attract businesses to the region, strengthening the economy and creating jobs in an area in which many places suffer from higher than average unemployment.
Further economic benefits will come from enhanced workforce mobility, improved conditions for freight transport and reductions in costs associated with vehicle operation and health problems caused by accidents or pollution.
Separately from the project, a number of connections with the M25 have been developed. They include a reconstructed 719 m section of main road 252 between a new roundabout junction with main road 25, and the roundabout junction with the M25; a section of road 2502 bypassing Maklár and Andornaktálya from the one-lane roundabout junction with road 2501 to the M25; and a 1.331 km section linking main road 251, the M25 junction at Maklár and road 2501.
Work on these roads will reinforce the positive impact of the project.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “M25 Eger expressway connection (implementation of M3 motorway – Eger section)” is EUR 198 588 538, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 126 322 124 through the “Integrated Transport” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Improving access to the TEN-T road network”.